More than 500 measurements reveal how the soil of Vitoria-Gasteiz breathes
10/02/2026
In 2025, the Vitoria-Gasteiz Citizen Science Network’s Soil Conservation Programme exceeded 500 soil health assessments carried out since 2018, consolidating itself as one of the most relevant participatory soil monitoring initiatives in Spain.
Over the past year, 77 assessments have been carried out on diverse plots of land - parks, forests, vegetable patches and industrial wasteland - thanks to the direct involvement of citizens and students from the EHU/UPV. The results show that soil condition varies significantly according to its use: vegetable patches stand out for a greater presence of earthworms and biodiversity, forests for slower water regulation, and soils in parks have similar characteristics to those in industrial areas. The 2025 report can be consulted via this link.
The programme analyses key soil functions, such as plant production, biodiversity, water regulation, fertility and carbon sequestration, which are essential for climate change adaptation and urban sustainability. Some soils achieve very positive values in terms of biodiversity or carbon storage, while others have problems of infiltration or compaction, for which improvement measures are proposed.
Since 2024, the programme has been using the LURZAIN digital tool, which enables participants to enter field data and obtain comparative diagnostics in a simple way. Currently, citizen science in Vitoria-Gasteiz provides approximately half of the data stored on this platform.
The CEA, in conjunction with NEIKER as a collaborating entity, encourages citizens to join the programme’s upcoming campaigns and become aware of the essential role of soil as a living, strategic and low-profile resource, but which is vital for the sustainability of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
This initiative is aligned with the Basque Soil Protection Strategy 2030 and the recent European Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience, whose objectives include ensuring that all soil ecosystems are in a healthy condition by 2050.
